Sherlock voted best show of 2012 by Radio Times critics

Series two of smash-hit BBC1 drama "easily" wins annual poll of RT experts

Sherlock, the immensely popular BBC1 drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, has been voted the best TV programme of 2012 in a poll of Radio Times critics.

Series two of the Holmes reboot, created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and shown in January this year, saw off the challenge of US drama Homeland and Olympic-themed comedy Twenty Twelve to top the list, which was headed last year by Danish drama The Killing and is compiled from votes cast by the writing teams at RadioTimes.com and Radio Times magazine.

"Sherlock delivered the TV event of the year with three perfect episodes," said RadioTimes.com editor Tim Glanfield. "Nothing got people talking more than that cliffhanger series finale - and that was as true here at Radio Times as it was in offices and school playgrounds around the country.

"Despite being shown 11 months ago, Sherlock won the vote quite easily," Glanfield added. "Virtually all of us had it in our personal top fives. It was simply staggeringly good TV - and best of all it's British!"

American terrorist thriller Homeland came second in this year's poll, with Twenty Twelve third, political satire The Thick of It in fourth and C4 student comedy Fresh Meat completing the top five.

Also in the critics' top ten shows were Borgen, The Great British Bake Off, Downton Abbey, The Bridge and Girls.